You can start a local, small business courier service with minimal equipment, beyond a basic office setup and reliable transportation.

You can start a local, small business courier service with minimal equipment, beyond a basic office setup and reliable transportation. You can usually start out with your own car, van or SUV, then upgrade to more and larger vehicles as needed when your business grows.

Create an office in a separate room of your house. Keep track of the hours you work at home as you may be able to deduct your home office for tax purposes.

Create a name for your small business courier service. Apply for a doing business as license through your county or city, according to Business.gov. Use the fictitious name of your business on your DBA application. Apply for a vendor's license simultaneously as you will need to collect sales taxes from customers.

Decide whether you want to focus on residential or business customers, or both. Decide what types of packages you will pick up and deliver, such as personal gifts, checks and money orders, perishable good or body organs. Limit the weight of the items you pick up and deliver if you desire.

Call competitive delivery or courier services in your area, or have friends and family do it for you. Obtain their rates for various package sizes, client types and mileage, if applicable. Price your services comparable to these other courier businesses.

Create a website for your business courier service, or have a web designer create one for you. Place your website on all business cards, fliers, brochures and advertising materials. Place your website in various search engines, such as Google.com and Yahoo.com. Create a company Facebook page, or sign up at LinkedIn and begin making connections with the local business community.

Contact small businesses, office complexes, hospitals and schools to procure commercial clients. Leave a business card and brochure with the owner or business manager. Stress that you can provide more personal attention with your courier service over larger companies. Leave stacks of fliers behind in retail outlets to attract residential customers, and place ads in several coupon magazines. Start scheduling pickups and deliveries when residential and business customers call you.

Advertise your courier service in the print and online Yellow Pages.

Maintain a log of all pickups and deliveries. Arrive for each pickup on time as customers will be more likely to use your service again.

Hire other drivers as your business expands. Create a manage a dispatch center, then hire employees to work the phones. Spend your time focusing on building more corporate business accounts. Sign these corporate business accounts to long-term contracts, offering a discount on single deliveries. Charge $12 for envelope pickups under contract, for example, if you normally charge $15 for single pickups and deliveries.

Items you will need

Vendor's license

DBA

Business or residential clients

Business cards

Brochures

Fliers

Website

Computer

Printer

Cell phone

GPS

Pickup and delivery log

Mailing envelops

Shipping boxes

Tip

Use your computer and printer to print all customer invoices. Maintain a database of all residential and commercial customers on your computer. Contact these customers by phone or mail if you have not heard from them in awhile. Always be promoting your small business courier service.

Things Needed

Vendor's license

DBA

Business or residential clients

Business cards

Brochures

Fliers

Website

Computer

Printer

Cell phone

GPS

Pickup and delivery log

Mailing envelops

Shipping boxes

Tip

Use your computer and printer to print all customer invoices. Maintain a database of all residential and commercial customers on your computer. Contact these customers by phone or mail if you have not heard from them in awhile. Always be promoting your small business courier service.